Seafood Safety Tips

Seafood Safety Tips From the Pennsylvania Bureau of Food Safety Selecting Seafood •Fresh and frozen fish should be handled properly at all times. Fish is highly susceptible to deterioration. •Good fresh fish can be distinguished from old fish by marked differences in appearance. Fresh fish have bright red, moist gills and the eyes are bulging and clear. The flesh and belly areas should be firm and elastic. The flesh should not pull away from the bones easily, and the scales should stick to the flesh. Look for skin that is vibrant and bright. •Fresh fish do not have a noticeably strong, fishy odor. •An unacceptable fish will have gill slants that are gray or gray-green and dry, and gills that are darker and dull red, brownish or gray. Unacceptable fish also have cloudy, red-bordered and sunken eyes and the flesh is soft and yielding. If finger pressure is applied, the impression will remain. If the fish has an ammonia odor, the deterioration is advanced. Fish may also contain parasites, tumors, abscesses and cysts. Do not eat fish that show any of the signs of deterioration. •Only buy fish from reputable sources. Your fish monger should be able to tell you where fish were caught, when they were caught and delivered to the store. •Only buy fresh seafood that is refrigerated or properly iced. •Fresh seafood and cooked, ready-to-eat seafood like shrimp, crabs or smoked fish, should be stored in separate display cases. Cross-contamination can occur between raw seafood and cooked seafood. •Like other food packages, don't buy frozen seafood if the packages are ripped, open or damaged. •Fish should not be frozen, thawed and then refrozen. Indications that frozen fish packages have been refrozen include frost or ice crystals, packages stored above the frost line, a sour odor and an off-color. Brown coloring at the edges of a fillet is also a sign of refreezing. •Also check the quality of lobsters, crabs and shellfish. The shell of a live lobster should be hard and heavy. Live lobsters and crabs should show signs of movement. The tails of live lobsters should curl under when picked up. The shells of clams and oysters should be closed if they are alive. Partly open shells might indicate that the clams, oysters and mussels are dead. To determine if they are alive, tap the shells; if the shells close, they are alive. •The edible portions of frozen lobsters should have firm flesh. If the lobster gives off a strong odor, do not eat it. Storing Seafood •Most refrigerated fish should not be stored for longer than 1 or 2 days. •Refrigerate seafood in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Wrap the seafood loosely and allow air to circulate freely around the package. •Discard shellfish if they die during storage or if their shells crack or creak. Tap the shell to check if the shellfish are alive. The shellfish will close up when the shell is tapped. •Most seafood can be kept in freezer storage for 3 to 6 months. •Wrap seafood in moisture-proof freezer paper or foil for freezer storage. •Freezers should be 0° F for maximum freezer storage. Increased temperatures affect freezer storage and foods deteriorate more quickly. Preparing Seafood •Always wash hands with hot, soapy water before handling any food. •Like meat and poultry, thaw seafood in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Place the frozen seafood in the refrigerator the night before preparation to maintain best quality. •To thaw seafood quickly, put in a plastic bag and immerse in cold water for about an hour, or microwave on defrost. Stop the defrost cycle while the fish is still icy but pliable. •All fish, poultry and meat should be marinated in the refrigerator. •Never use a marinade for fish, poultry or meat as a sauce. Instead, reserve some of the marinade for the sauce before adding the raw food. •Preventing cross-contamination during seafood preparation is especially important. This is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness related to seafood. •Use separate cutting boards, utensils and plates for raw seafood and for cooked seafood. Never use the same plate to carry raw seafood to the grill and then carry the cooked seafood from the grill using the same, unwashed plate. Cooking Seafood •Seafood should reach an internal temperature of 145° F for 15 seconds. •Another way to check for doneness of fish is to slip the point of a sharp knife into the flesh and pull aside. The edges should be opaque and the center slightly translucent with flakes beginning to separate. Let the fish stand for 3 to 4 minutes. •Check the color of shrimp, lobster and scallops for doneness. Shrimp and lobster turn red and the flesh becomes pearly opaque. Scallops turn milky white or opaque and firm. •Clams, mussels and oysters are done when the shells open. Discard any that stay closed. Serving Seafood •Always keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. •Do not keep cooked food out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours.